Students learn life lessons from Anderson Institute

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By Andy Barrand

Hillsdale.net - Hillsdale, MI

By Andy Barrand

Posted Dec. 8, 2012 at 1:30 PM

By Andy Barrand

Posted Dec. 8, 2012 at 1:30 PM

Hillsdale, Mich.

andy.barrand@hillsdale.net

HILLSDALE — Bowing as they walked through the door, students of the Anderson Institute of Tae Park Tae Kwon Do entered the gym Thursday night. After changing into their simple white uniforms with a Tae Park patch on the sleeves and their designated colored belts around their waists, they began warming up for their nightly lesson. Students were put through their paces in preparation for Sunday’s testing for those looking to raise through the degrees of colored belts. Senior Master Brian Anderson said the art of Tae park Tae Kwon Do is about more than self-defense. “It is about discipline, self motivation and self confidence,” he said. It is respect that Anderson demands from all his students the minute they walk through the gym doors. “Brian is a great instructor and great leader. It transfers over to the kids at home,” said Mike Jenkins, whose daughter Lauren has been taking lessons for the past year. Lauren. a third-grader, has advanced through the ranks and is currently a blue belt. She looks to move up after testing. She became involved after coming to a practice with a friend. “It has taught her honor, loyalty and discipline,” Jenkins said. Jenkins said learning the discipline is also good for Lauren for safety aspects later in life. He said he has seen a big change in Lauren’s attitude since beginning with instructor Anderson. Lauren was one of several students under the instruction of Anderson that competed at the Tae Park World Class Tae Kwon Do Championships at Grand Rapids Community College. She won a silver medal for form and a bronze for sparring. Marshall Burlew, 23, a graduate of Reading High School, came to Anderson for training as he looks to his future. Burlew is a student at Trine University and wants to pursue a career in criminal justice as a trooper with the Michigan State Police. After a year in the program, he is a green belt. “It has helped me to develop the self-defense skills for my future profession,” he said. “I am now capable of protecting myself.”

Burlew is a former athlete said it is also a good way to keep that mind set. “I have also picked up a lot of discipline which will definitely help me in the future,” he said. Anderson has been an instructor for the last 37 years after beginning Tae Park Tae Kwon Do his freshman year at Hillsdale College. Anderson said becoming an instructor wasn’t something he was planning; rather, it was something which was bestowed on him as a red belt. “I enjoy it though,” he said. Anderson became a black belt in 1999. He has graduated over 300 black belts over his years. He has taught at Hillsdale College since 1977. Four of Anderson’s students are currently being looked at by the United States Olympic Committee to represent the United States. Jared Moore, 11, a red belt, won a gold and a bronze medal at the Michigan State Games earlier this summer. He also won two silvers at the championships. He said he enjoys taking lessons because he likes to figure out how to protect himself. For more information about the Anderson Institute of Tae Park Tae Kwon Do contact Anderson at 439-8656 or 437-2838. Students earning awards at the recent championships included white belts Kristen Carl (two golds), Emily Dahlberg (two golds), Holly Frankfurt (silver, gold), Grace Thomson (silver, gold), Bryan Trone (two golds), Jack Wiseman (two golds) and Katie Keane (two silvers); yellow belts Morgan Landel (gold, silver) and Paul Rahe (gold, silver); green belts Sam Beach (two silvers), Kiralyn Brakel (silver, gold), Caleb Eatough (silver, bronze), Peter Kalthoff (gold, bronze), Dominic Pestritto (gold, bronze), Chloe Stuchell (gold, silver) and Olivia Stuchell (gold, bronze); blue belts Lauren Jenkins (silver, bronze) and Garrett Rogers (gold); red belts Katherine Chandler (gold, silver), Mark Carscadden (two silvers), Logan Coy (two golds), Carson Loader (silver, bronze), Jared Moore (two silvers), Hanna Ritchey (silver) and Samuel Stoneburner (silver); black belts Nathaniel Birzer (silver, bronze), Ian Blodger (two bronze), Daniel Chandler (two bronze), Travis Korn (two silver), Gregory Moreno (silver), Alexi Noble (silver, bronze), Angelo Pestritto (Silver), Carmelina Pestritto (silver), Sabastian Pestritto (silver, bronze), Jacob Pitts (silver), Francesca Rahe (gold, silver), Tristen Strodtman (silver, bronze), Brian Vear (silver, gold) and Katherine Helmick (gold, silver).